(Phatforums Blog/ USA Today) – The White House will soon be defending the Libyan military action to Congress, as some lawmakers threaten a constitutional showdown over the operation against Moammar Gadhafi.
“We are in the final stages of preparing extensive information for the House and Senate that will address a whole host of issues about our ongoing efforts in Libya,” National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.
That will include “our legal analysis with regard to the War Powers Resolution,” Vietor said.
Vietor spoke after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, sent President Obama a letter warning that the administration could be held in violation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
“Have you … conducted the legal analysis to justify your position?” Boehner wrote to Obama. “Given the gravity of the constitutional and statutory questions involved, I request your answer by Friday, June 17, 2011.”
The administration’s response is expected to beat Boehner’s deadline.
Boehner also wrote that members of Congress “as well as the American people” are “frustrated by the lack of clarity over the Administration’s strategic policies.”
Boehner’s letter followed up a House resolution passed earlier this month.
Obama and aides have said the Libya mission is well within the law, and that the U.S. is acting as part of a coalition fulfilling a United Nations resolution authorizing the protection of Libya citizens from attacks by Gadhafi’s government.
The U.S. is providing NATO with logistical support and intelligence in Libya, and Obama has said he will not send American troops to the war-torn nation.
Administration officials also say they have kept members apprised of actions in Libya.
“Since March 1, administration witnesses have testified at over ten hearings that included a substantial discussion of Libya and participated in over 30 member or staff briefings,” Vietor said. “We will continue to consult with our Congressional colleagues.”
